It is not-so-shocking that Florida officials decided to block teaching African American history in high schools. According to reports, the course is being rolled out in a pilot program by the US College Board to 60 high schools across the country. The Advanced Placement (AP) African American Studies course is the College Board's first new class since 2014. It is set to cover more than 400 years of African American history, touching on topics like literature, political science, and geography. What is Desantis afraid of?
Republican Governor Ron Desantis and his administration's baseless claims that the new advanced-level high school course that teaches African American history lacks educational value and is contrary to Florida law are outrageous. The truth is, African American history is American history, no matter how ugly it is. Blocking these teachings from Florida schools or any school in America screams White supremacy and proves racists strategically implement ideologies that support inequities throughout the educational and political structure.
Why are they afraid? In April of 2022, Desantis signed into law new guidelines involving race-based discussions in businesses and schools as part of his campaign against critical race theory, which he called “pernicious” ideology. Desantis and people like him are petrified that race (like gender) will become obsolete. White privilege will no longer provide the opportunities it once did. Americans would no longer check off boxes to determine their worth, and little White boys and girls could one day identify as something other than White. That ideology is just too much for them to fathom.
Do you think Desantis and his minions are hindering racial equity?